Best NBA Bets Today | NBA Picks December 22

The NBA's Thursday night is pretty bare, with just two games on the schedule.

Opening the night is a lopsided matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and the New Orleans Pelicans. Closing the night is an inter-conference match between the Washington Wizards and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Let's check out the bets!

San Antonio Spurs @ New Orleans Pelicans

When: 8:00 PM EST

Spread: New Orleans Pelicans -8.5 (-107) @ BetRivers

The San Antonio Spurs and the New Orleans Pelicans face off in this Western Conference matchup. The New Orleans Pelicans have fallen to third in the Western Conference with an 18-12 overall record. The San Antonio Spurs remain near the bottom of the West, 10-20, and 14th in the Western Conference table.

The New Orleans Pelicans enter this game on a four-game losing streak, as they've struggled to contain the Utah Jazz in back-to-back games as well as two of the Best in the NBA in the Bucks and the Suns. The Spurs are coming off their first win in three games, a dominant showing over the Houston Rockets. These two teams have been trending in opposite directions.

The Spurs, despite their recent success, are still one of the league's poorer two-way teams. They are aggressive on the offensive glass as they average 11.8 per game (8th in the NBA), but they still allow 119.5 points per game (30th in the NBA) on 50.5% efficiency (30th in the NBA). New Orleans projects to be too much for them to handle, averaging 117.3 points per game (3rd in the NBA) on 48.5% efficiency (5th in the NBA).

Washington Wizards @ Utah Jazz

When: 9:00 PM EST

Moneyline: Utah Jazz (-100) @ BetMGM

The Washington Wizards and the Utah Jazz are two teams looking to kick off a winning streak in this game. The Utah Jazz have won three of their last five and host the Wizards before beginning another three-game road trip. Washington had recently lost 10 games in a row but recovered with a surprising victory over the Phoenix Suns.

The Wizards found victory in their last game due to their efficient shooting, ball control, and excellent scoring production from Kyle Kuzma and Bradley Beal. They didn't shoot the three at a high volume, but they did convert on 11 threes with 40.7% efficiency. The Utah Jazz were similar in their performance last game, finding victory by hitting 20 threes on 43.5% efficiency against the Detroit Pistons.

These two teams have tremendous scoring potential due to the versatility of their offenses and their pace of play. Utah certainly sports more depth than the Wizards, and the absence of Kristaps Porzingis could hurt their chances against Utah's versatile big men. Count on the Jazz to find victory, especially on their home court where they're 11-5.